Combination growth factor therapy and cell therapy for treatment of acute and chronic diseases of the organs

Abstract

Acute and chronic diseases of the organs are treated in patients using a rational, multi-tier approach. A patient can be pretreated with growth factor proteins or gene therapy, followed by the administration of adult stem cells or other cell therapy. The patient can be a fetus treated in utero or removed from the womb. The progress of treatment is monitored by ultrasound, MRI, CAT scan, cardiac echo, EEG, EKG, EMG or blood tests, with growth factor treatment and/or stem cell administration adjusted according to the results of the monitoring or clinical status of the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the systemic, multi-tiered treatment of patients suffering from brain disease of ischemia by delivering stem cells collected from umbilical cord tissue or umbilical cord blood, consisting of:
 a) selecting a patient displaying symptoms of brain ischemia; 
 b) administering at least one dose consisting of an effective amount of stem cells collected from umbilical cord tissue or umbilical cord blood; where administration of said stem cells is intravenous, intrathecal, intra-arterial, via catheter into the organ, or by direct injection into the organ; 
 c) monitoring the effectiveness of administration of said stem cells by a monitoring means that objectively measures blood flow and includes at least one of ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiogram and neuroimaging; 
 d) determining, based on monitoring the effectiveness of stem cell treatment by said monitoring means, whether an additional dose of stem cells is indicated; and 
 e) if necessary, repeating steps b) through d) until there is a clinical indication of amelioration of the symptoms of brain ischemia, or until there is contraindication to continued treatment; wherein the second dose of stems cells, if administered, is administered by a method that is at least as invasive as the method utilized for the administration of the previous dose of stem cells. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient has cerebral palsy. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient has autism. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient has stroke. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient has multi-infarct dementia. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient has brain trauma. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cells have been isolated from the patient. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cells have been isolated from an HLA-matched individual. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cells are isolated from umbilical cord tissue. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cells are isolated from umbilical cord blood. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the symptoms of brain ischemia are caused by autism, stroke, dementia, cerebral palsy or trauma and there is administered a further dose of stem cells by a method more invasive than the method utilized for the administration of the previous dose of stem cells. 
     
     
       12. A method for the systemic, multi-tiered treatment of patients suffering from brain disease of ischemia by delivering stem cells collected from umbilical cord tissue or umbilical cord blood, consisting of:
 a) selecting a patient displaying symptoms of Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Brain Trauma, stroke or multi-infarct dementia; 
 b) administering at least one dose consisting of an effective amount of stem cells collected from umbilical cord tissue or umbilical cord blood; where administration of said stem cells is intravenous, intrathecal, intra-arterial, via catheter into the organ, or by direct injection into the organ; 
 c) monitoring the effectiveness of administration of said stem cells by a monitoring means that objectively measures blood flow and includes at least one of ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiogram and neuroimaging; 
 d) determining, based on monitoring the effectiveness of stem cell treatment by said monitoring means, whether an additional dose of stem cells is indicated; and 
 e) if necessary, repeating steps b) through d) until there is a clinical indication of amelioration of the symptoms of brain ischemia, or until there is contraindication to continued treatment; 
 f) determining, based on monitoring the effectiveness of stem cell treatment by said monitoring means, whether an additional dose of stem cells is indicated; and wherein the second dose of sterns cells, if administered, is administered by a method that is at least as invasive as the method utilized for the administration of the previous dose of stem cells.